John H. Armstrong is founder and president of Act 3, a ministry for the advancement of the Christian Tradition in the third millennium. He is former pastor and church-planter, of more than twenty years, the author/editor of eight books, and the author of hundreds of magazine, journal, and Web based articles. John has served as the editor-in-chief of Act 3 Review: A Journal for Faith, Church and Culture since its origin in1992. Besides his writing ministry Dr. Armstrong is an adjunct professor of evangelism at Wheaton College Graduate School, teaches in various seminaries and colleges as a guest lecturer, and is a seminar and conference speaker throughout the United States and abroad. John and Anita, his wife of thirty-five years, have two adult married children. Anita assists John as an editorial associate and uses her gifts widely to help the ministry. Their son Matthew is engaged in a ministry of evangelism and discipleship, and is completing his graduate degree at Wheaton College, while their daughter Stacy is an administrative assistant for Act 3. John and Anita have two grandchildren, Gracie (8) and Abbie (4).
John was born in Lebanon, Tennessee (March 1, 1949). He is the youngest of two sons of Dr. Thomas H. and Marie F. Armstrong. John's dad was a dentist and the editor of the Tennessee State Dental Journal. He also served on the faculty of the University of Tennessee Dental School in Memphis for nearly fifteen years. John's mom, now ninety years old, lives in Huntsville, Alabama, where his one brother, Thomas, is a family physician. He attended Castle Heights Military Academy in Lebanon, Tennessee, where he was an ROTC cadet officer and graduated cum honore in 1967. He attended the University of Alabama from 1967-1969, studying journalism and history. In 1969 he transferred to Wheaton College, were he received a B. A. in history (1971) and an M. A. in theology and missions (1973). He did further study at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois, and Northern Baptist Seminary, Lombard, Illinois. He earned a D. Min degree (1979) at Luther Rice Seminary, Atlanta, Georgia.
John is the author of Five Great Evangelists (Christian Focus Publications, 1997), The Catholic Mystery (Harvest House, 1999), True Revival: What Happens When God's Spirit Moves (Harvest House, 2000), and The Stain That Stays: The Church's Response to the Sexual Misconduct of It's Leaders (Christian Focus, 2000). He is the general editor of Water That Unites or Divides? Four Views on Baptism (Zondervan, 2006), Roman Catholicism: Evangelical Protestants Analyze What Unites and Divides Us (Moody Press, 1994), The Coming Evangelical Crisis (Moody Press, 1996), Reforming Pastoral Ministry (Crossway, 2001), The Glory of Christ (Crossway, 2002), and the forthcoming Participating in the Lord's Supper: Four Views (Zondervan) He has contributed single chapters, theological and historical introductions, and forewords to a dozen or more volumes, and has been published in Christianity Today, Christian History and similar popular Christian periodicals.
John serves on the board of Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, where he is also an adjunct professor in the D. Min. program, and is a member of several professional societies including the John Calvin Society, the Karl Barth Society, and the Alban Institute.
John's hobbies include baseball, with a love for the Atlanta Braves which goes back to the 1957 Milwaukee Braves who won the World Series and the Chicago White Sox (World Series champions 2005) and book collecting. He also enjoys reading great literature, movies, and walking/biking. He remains an avid college football fan, following his beloved Crimson Tide of Alabama faithfully. John and Anita have a special place in their home for Neo, the Armstrong's miniature dachshund. John and Anita's grandchildren, Gracie and Abbie, bring very special joy to their busy lives through regular visits.